Hong Kong lawmakers silence Lam
Leader forced to deliver annual address via video link after chamber protests
In chaotic scenes, prodemocracy lawmakers yesterday twice forced Hong Kong’s leader to stop delivering a speech laying out her policy objectives and then clamoured for her to resign after she walked out of the legislature.
Carrie Lam’s inability to deliver her annual policy address marked a slap in the face for Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive. Lam had already started delivering the speech when chanting pro-democracy lawmakers forced an interruption. She left the Legislative Council chamber and then came back a few minutes later to try again, only to be interrupted one more time. Again, she left.
One lawmaker tossed a placard as Lam was leaving.
Finally, 75 minutes after the previously scheduled start of the lengthy address, Lam delivered it via video link, with China’s yellow-starred red flag to her right and Hong Kong’s flag on her left.
Describing the semi-autonomous Chinese territory as going through “major crisis”, Lam said: “People are asking: Will Hong Kong return to normal?”
She appealed for its 7.5 million citizens to “cherish the city”, warning that “continued violence and spread of hatred will erode the core values of Hong Kong”.
At a news conference outside the chamber, the pro-democracy lawmakers played a recording on a small loudspeaker that they said was the sound of police tear-gassing protesters and of protesters screaming.
“These are the voices of people screaming and they are just ordinary Hong Kong people,” said Tanya Chan. “Please, please, please Mrs Carrie Lam, don’t let us suffer any more.” She called for Lam’s resignation.
Lam had been bracing for trouble in the chamber as her Government battles protests that have gripped the semi-autonomous Chinese territory since June.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that US lawmakers had passed a bill aimed at upholding human rights in Hong Kong. It said the bill — which still needs to pass the upper house, the Senate — would mandate an annual review, to see whether Hong Kong had sufficient autonomy from the rest of China to justify its special trading status. It said the lower chamber also approved stopping tear gas exports to Hong Kong.